International locations condemn US sanctions on the ICC alleging impunity for severe crimes and weakening worldwide legislation.
Donald Trump’s determination to sanction the Worldwide Prison Court docket (ICC) will increase the “danger of impunity” for severe crimes, 79 events to the worldwide tribunal have stated.
In a assertion on Friday, a gaggle of 79 nations – about two-thirds of the court docket’s membership – affirmed its assist for the ICC and stated that sanctions would weaken worldwide legislation after Trump signed an govt order sanctioning the court docket for investigating Israel.
“Such measures enhance the chance of impunity for essentially the most severe crimes and threaten to erode the worldwide rule of legislation, which is essential for selling world order and safety,” stated the joint assertion, led by Slovenia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Sierra Leone and Vanuatu.
They have been joined by dozens of different nations, together with the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Brazil and Bangladesh.
“In the present day, the Court docket is going through unprecedented challenges,” the assertion warned, after Trump on Tuesday ordered asset freezes and journey bans in opposition to ICC officers, staff and their relations, together with anybody deemed to have helped the court docket’s investigations.
“Sanctions might jeopardize the confidentiality of delicate data and the protection of these concerned, together with victims, witnesses, and Court docket officers, a lot of whom are our nationals. As sturdy supporters of the ICC, we remorse any makes an attempt to undermine the Court docket’s independence, integrity and impartiality.”
Whereas the US has lengthy pitched itself because the guarantor of a global order that promotes human rights and the rule of legislation, it has steadily attacked efforts by worldwide our bodies to probe alleged abuses by the US and its allies.
Within the govt order imposing sanctions, the Trump administration stated that it will convey “tangible and important penalties” for “illegitimate and baseless actions concentrating on America and our shut ally Israel”.
Whereas Trump is the primary US president to sanction the ICC, his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden additionally thought-about the use of sanctions to penalise the court docket for investigating Israel.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged conflict crimes in Gaza, the place Israel has carried out a scorched earth marketing campaign that has killed 1000’s, levelled complete neighbourhoods, displaced tens of millions of individuals, and included the widespread denial of humanitarian assist.
No less than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli assaults, most of them ladies and youngsters, a determine that’s anticipated to rise significantly as rescue staff search by means of the rubble for undiscovered our bodies.
The ICC additionally issued arrest warrants for leaders of the Palestinian armed group Hamas for alleged conflict crimes dedicated throughout an assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Trump’s Worldwide Prison Court docket sanctions put the US on the aspect of conflict criminals at expense of victims,” Omar Shakir, Israel-Palestine director at Human Rights Watch stated. “Sanctions are for perpetrators – not these working to carry them to account. States ought to defend the ICC for doing its job: making certain nobody is above the legislation.”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated his nation would search to make sure the ICC, based mostly in The Hague, might proceed to function regardless of introduced US sanctions.
“After all, because the host nation, we’ve a duty to ensure the unhindered functioning of the legal court docket always. And we are going to hold doing that,” Schoof advised reporters, describing the transfer as a “disturbing sign and really regrettable” with probably “important implications” for the ICC’s independence and ongoing investigations.
“The Netherlands stands by the Worldwide Prison Court docket. We’ll proceed to assist it. We’re the host nation. We’re additionally pleased with the Netherlands and likewise of The Hague as a metropolis for peace and justice. The ICC is an express a part of that. And we are going to do every part we will to make sure that the ICC can fulfil its duties.”
